This publication examines the main debates under way on social protection and co-responsibility transfer programmes. It identifies the role played by these programmes and considers the conceptual elements, needs and the challenges that will have to be overcome to consolidate comprehensive social protection systems in Latin America. The authors argue that these should be solidarity-based systems that provide universal coverage and are essentially egalitarian in the guarantees established as citizens' rights. Citizenship as a whole is thus becoming part of protection policies as the region...

The economies of China and of the Latin America and the Caribbean region are the current global growth poles and, over the coming years, will grow twice or three times as quickly as the industrialised economies, which will have to adjust to slower growth and higher unemployment. The present juncture offers an opportunity to rethink global and regional partnership strategies and to put greater emphasis on South-South ties in trade, foreign direct investment FDI) and cooperation. In this document, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) posits that China and the...

This book aims to document the growing investment and trade relations between Latin America and Asia, as well as some of their imbalances. It also provides several examples on how to upgrade trans-Pacific economic relations. It is offered to the Asian and Latin American policymaking, academic and business communities, as a contributioon to bridging the gaps in our knowledge of economic relations between the two regions.

This publication aims to contribute to the research, analysis and design of proposals for the social protection of older persons. It develops a new conceptual approach and uses various indicators for its assessment in the areas of social security, health and social services. All human beings must be able to avail themselves of equal rights, without discrimination, and these rights must be enforced through serious, strategic and sustainable commitments which accommodate both present and long-term challenges. Only then will it be possible to develop an approach which includes each and every...

This publication examines how external debt financing has evolved in the past three decades (1982-2012). It looks back 30 years and analyses the Latin American and Caribbean region's trajectory from the unique perspective of access to international financial markets. As the title implies, this trajectory has been a rollercoaster ride, with many ups and downs, and moments of anticipation and panic. The developments of the past three decades as described in this book suggest that more widespread and cheaper access to international capital markets can play a role in the long process of achieving...